Scooter-like toy vehicle

ABSTRACT

A scooter-like toy vehicle embodying a modified three wheel construction including a forward steering wheel and two widely separated rear wheels between which a platform of very substantial area is supported. The steering wheel, when rotated 180*, may be used as a tow for pulling the vehicle, such as when the platform is loaded with groceries, newspapers or the like. Upstanding side handles are provided for steadying the rider.

United States Patent Keiser, Jr.

[15] 3,656,777 [451 Apr. 18, 1972 SCOOTER-LIKE TOY VEHICLE David HowardKeiser, Jr., 53 Park Road, Wyomissing Hills, Reading, Pa. 19610 Sept.12, 1969 inventor:

Filed:

App], No.:

U.S. Cl ..280/87.04 B Int. Cl. ..B62k 9/00, B62b 1 H00 Field of Search..280/87.04 B, 87.04 A, 87.04,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS l/l905 Keyes ..280/87.0l 9/1923Remacle ..l6/2l 1,678,836 7/1928 -Wessborg ..280/87.04 B 2,005,9106/1935 Andersen ..280/87.04 1,674,272 6/1928 Zander ..280/87.04

Primary Examiner-Leo Friaglia Att0rneyWilliam J. Ruano [57] ABSTRACTnewspapers or the like. Upstanding side handles are provided forsteadying the rider.

5 Claims, 6 Drawing Figures I p 1. /11.-. I l W1 v PATENTEDAPR 18 1912 3656,777

4 Fig. I.

INVENTOR. DA wo How/makz/szgm BY his ATTORNEY SCOOTER-LIKE TOY VEHICLEThis invention relates to a scooter-like toy vehicle but which ismounted on three wheels instead of two.

An outstanding disadvantage of conventional, foot operated, two wheeledscooters is that small children have difficulty in balancing themselvesthereon, making the vehicle unsafe for small children.

Another disadvantage is that scooters have no utilitarian use other thanto provide a ride for the driver.

' Anjobject of the present invention is to provide a novel,

three wheeled toy vehicle which is devoid of the above nameddisadvantages of scooters and which provides greater safety for smallchildren in that little or no skill is required for balancing thedriver.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a dual purpose,three wheeled, scooter-like toy vehicle which serves both as a widetrack scooter and which, by turning the steering wheel handle 180 willenable such handle to be used to tow the vehicle to enable carrying ofvery heavy objects, such as a load of groceries, stacks of newspapers tofacilitate delivery thereof by newsboys, etc.

Other objects and advantages will become more apparent from a study ofthe following description taken with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top or plan view of a three wheeled toy vehicle embodyingthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view thereof;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view thereof;

FIG, 4 is a cross sectional view taken along line IV-IV of FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the brake in applied position; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side view of the braking element.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, numeral 1 generally denotesa scooter-like vehicle embodying the invention and comprising a platformor base 2 of very substantial width and area mounted on three wheels,namely, two rear wheels 5 and a front steering wheel 8.

The front steering wheel 8 is pivotally mounted on a caster vcomprisinga supporting bracket 9 rigidly secured to a vertical shaft 10 which isjoumaled within an integral sleeve or bearing portion 7 of a frontbracket 6. A semi-circular sleeve portion 10a is attached to the frontof shaft 10 so that its bottom is slidably rotatable on the top ofbearing portion 7. A handle 1 l, 12 is rigidly secured to an integralextension of the semi-circular sleeve portion 10a by bolts or similarfastening elements. Thus as the handle is steered to the right or left,it will rotate the shaft 10 within the bearing portion 7 so as tocorrespondingly steer the front steering wheel 8 to the right or left,respectively.

It will be noted that when the handle ll, 12 is in the dottedlineposition shown in FIG. 2, it will be used for steering the vehicle, suchas the handle of an ordinary scooter. However, when the handle isrotated 180 so as to assume the position shown in full lines in FIG. 2,it will be useful as a tow, so that the housewife or newsboy may pullthe handle and tow the vehicle when loaded with groceries, newspapers,or other objects resting on platform 2.

Attached to the upper sides of platform 2 are angle irons 3 whose bottomflanges are bolted to the side edge portions of platform 2 and onto theside flanges of which are bolted wheel mounting plates or brackets 4,which carry the axles for mounting the rear wheels 5.

In order toaid the driver in steadying or balancing himself, rods orhandles 14 are mounted, at their lower ends, on clamps or brackets 13which are attached to the front-ends of angle irons 3.

A braking system is provided comprising a metal rod or tube 16 whose endportions extend through snugly fitting holes in the front portions ofthe angle irons 3 to provide journals therefor. A brake pedal 17 isrigidly secured to the right side portion of said rod or tube 16. Thebrake is applied by depressing the front portion of the pedal, since thetube is turned within its bearings in the angle irons 3 and by virtue ofa link 18 which extends through the centerof the rod or tube 16 and isrigidly bolted thereto, which link 18 passes through a hole 21 of anequalizing bar 20, which bar is pivoted at its ends to the front ends ofbraking bars or links 22 which have downturned ends 24 serving as brakeshoes which frictionally engage the rear wheels 5. Slots 23 are providedin the braking bars 22 so that such bars may be guided in their forwardand rearward sliding movement with respect to similarly shaped topsupporting plates (not shown) rigidly fastened to the underside of theplatform 2. A return spring (not shown) may encircle tube 16 to normallyrelease the brakes.

In operation, brake pedal 17 is pushed forwardly so as to rock the tube16 as well as the driving pin 18 from the position shown in FIG. 4 tothat shown in FIG. 5. This will push the equalizing bar 20 rearwardlytogether with the braking bars 22 so as to bring the braking shoes, thatis, the rear, downwardly turned flanges 24 .(see FIG. 6) of the brakingbars, into frictional engagement with the rear wheels 5 in the dottedline position 24. Of course, brake shoes (not shown) may be attached tothe downwardly turned ends 24 of the braking bars, if so desired.

It should be particularly noted that the.three-wheeled toy vehicledescribed has an extremely low bed or platform 2 relative to the heightof the ground by virtue of the specific construction shown for mountingthe rear wheels, which is devoid of the usual axle therebetween. Thisprovides greater safety because of the considerably reduced likelihoodof overturning when negotiating a turn.

Moreover, it will be noted that very simple and inexpensive standardparts are used for assembling the entire vehicle, therefore considerablyreducing the manufacturing cost thereof while at the same time improvingthe performance of the toy vehicle.

It will be further noted that while handles 14 are shown on both sidesof the vehicle to allow steadying of the driver, one or both may beomitted if so desired.

Thus it will be seen that I have provided an extremely versatile toyvehicle which is useful either as a wide track, low bed scooter-like toyfor steering by the driver while pushing with one foot while the otherfoot rests on the platform, or which by turning the steering handle fromthe dotted line position 1 l' to the full line position in FIG. 2, maybe used as a dolly or towing vehicle for towing groceries, newspapers,or other heavy loads which are otherwise very difficult to car- While Ihave described a single specific embodiment of my invention, it will beunderstood that this is by way of illustration only, and that variouschanges and modifications may be made within the contemplation of myinvention and within the scope of the following claims.

claim:

1. A multi-purpose toy vehicle comprising a platform having a widthcomparable to its length and having a pair of rear wheels, flangesattached to the sides of said platform for separately mounting said rearwheels independently of each other, a front steering wheel mounted on acaster on the front of said platform for providing a swivel joint, saidcaster comprising a bracket attached to the front center of saidplatform, said bracket having an upwardly extending bearing portion fromits front end portion, a swivel rod extending through said bearingportion, a bifurcated steering wheel mount connected to the bottom ofsaid rod, and a semi-circular tube connected to said rod in a manner sothat its lower edge is rotatably slidable on the top edge of saidbearing portion, a handle extending upwardly at an acute angle from thevertical axis of said caster for steering said front wheel, so that whenthe handle extends forwardly of the vehicle, it may be used to pull ortow the vehicle, and when rotated 180 about said vertical axis, it maybe used by the driver, while standing on the platform, for steering thevehicle.

2. A vehicle as recited in claim 1, including wheel mounting platesattached to the sides of said platform each carrying an axle forproviding separate mountings for said rear wheels at a operating rodhaving ends rotatably supported on said angle irons, a brake pedalrigidly attached to the top portion of said brake operated rod, andbrake equalizing linkage means mounted underneath said platform forbraking said rear wheels.

in claim 4, wherein said brake 5. A vehicle as recited equalizing meanscomprises a pin rigidly secured to said brak- Y ing rod and extendingthrough a slot in said platform and into a hole in the center of anequalizing bar, brake operating bars extending longitudinally along thesides and underneath said platform and including brake shoes at the rearend thereof for braking the rear wheels as a' result of longitudinalrearward movement of said bars as a consequence of rearward movement bysaid pin of said equalizing bar.

1. A multi-purpose toy vehicle comprising a platform having a widthcomparable to its length and having a pair of rear wheels, flangesattached to the sides of said platform for separately mounting said rearwheels independently of each other, a front steering wheel mounted on acaster on the front of said platform for providing a swivel joint, saidcaster comprising a bracket attached to the front center of saidplatform, said bracket having an upwardly extending bearing portion fromits front end portion, a swivel rod extending through said bearingportion, a bifurcated steering wheel mount connected to the bottom ofsaid rod, and a semi-circular tube connected to said rod in a manner sothat its lower edge is rotatably slidable on the top edge of saidbearing portion, a handle extending upwardly at an acute angle from thevertical axis of said caster for steering said front wheel, so that whenthe handle extends forwardly of the vehicle, it may be used to pull ortow the vehicle, and when rotated 180* about said vertical axis, it maybe used by the driver, while standing on the platform, for steering thevehicle.
 2. A vehicle as recited in claim 1, including wheel mountingplates attached to the sides of said platform each carrying an axle forproviding separate mountings for said rear wheels at a position slightlybelow the lower surface of said platform to provide a low bed.
 3. Avehicle as recited in claim 2, together with angles irons attached tothe sides of said platform, wheel mounting plates attached to theoutside of said angle irons, each including axles for rotatablysupporting said rear wheels.
 4. A vehicle as recited in claim 3,together with a brake operating rod having ends rotatably supported onsaid angle irons, a brake pedal rigidly attached to the top portion ofsaid brake operated rod, and brake equalizing linkage means mountedunderneath said platform for braking said rear wheels.
 5. A vehicle asrecited in claim 4, wherein said brake equalizing means comprises a pinrigidly secured to said braking rod and extending through a slot in saidplatform and into a hole in the center of an equalizing bar, brakeoperating bars extending longitudinally along the sides and underneathsaid platform and including brake shoes at the rear end thereof forbraking the rear wheels as a result of longitudinal rearward movement ofsaid bars as a consequence of rearward movement by said pin of saidequalizing bar.